Warrington Charity Worker Appeals Against Fraud Conviction

A charity worker who was part of a fraud ring swindling £800,000 from a disabled children’s charity has won the first stage of an appeal battle to cut her sentence.

Collectively the five con merchants were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to 16 years’ imprisonment, with Mary Johnson, 61, of Manchester Road, Rixton, Warrington, handed seven years.

She was found guilty on April 24 of taking advantage of the lack of donation records to steal thousands of pounds from ‘Catch’ – Care and Action Trust for Children with Handicaps – established to help children with brain injuries.

advertisementActress Joan Collins was patron to the charity and said she was ‘shocked and saddened’ when she heard of the con.

Johnson maintained a not guilty plea throughout the trial, alleging that the cash was generated from horse racing but pleaded guilty to her part in PAYE fraud, costing Inland Revenue over £250,000.

Johnson’s son Paul Johnson, 32, of School Lane, Rixton, who did the company accounts, was also jailed for 12 months and her daughter, Donna Siddaway, 42, of Manchester Road, Rixton, was ordered to do 200 hours community work.

But Johnson and two of her co-workers were given permission to appeal against their sentence by top judges sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court on Wednesday.

Mr Justice Butterfield, sitting with Mrs Justice Dobbs at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, said it was a “deeply disturbing fraud in which a charity extracted large sums of money from companies who made donations to relieve the suffering of others when in fact much of the money was used for the benefit of members of the charity.”

Despite opening the way for a full appeal, the judge warned: “They should understand that there is no indication herein that their appeals will be successful, but there are at least arguable grounds that there should be some reduction.”

The three cases will now go forward for consideration by the full court before Christmas.